Last updated: May 3
It's currently June 22
I bring you The Pre-exams!
Read and Relax, and see the bottom for MORE announcements
Hiccup
Early the next morning, Dad sent our best trackers back into the woods. I hadn't even heard him leave because I'd been sleeping by the time he was gone. I remained half asleep when I'd climbed down the stairs for breakfast. I barely even noticed that Dad was absent until Mom slid a plate of food towards me and said, "Your father won't be joining us this morning."
"Mmmm?" I asked blearily. I picked at my plate before scooping a portion into my mouth.
"He's gone out with a few men to look for Toothless."
I felt my food lodge in my throat. I put a hand to my mouth and used my other to hammer at my chest. I coughed and choked until my throat was scratched raw. Mom rushed to my side and thumped on my back. Hard.
"Are you alright!?" Mom asked quickly.
As soon as my throat became somewhat clear, I said, "Yeah. Sorry." I tried to clear my throat. "He—" I coughed. "He's doing what!?"
Mom frowned, brow furrowed. "He's…out looking for Toothless."
…Oh shoot.
"Sweetheart, are you alright?"
"I need to go!" I pushed back my food, no longer hungry, and jumped out of my chair. "Thanks for the breakfast, but—"
"Stop right there, young man." Mom clasped my arm before I could run out the door. I tried to protest, but Mom herded me back to my chair, saying, "You need to eat up for today, son. You still have your pre-exams, remember?"
"But—"
"No buts." Mom threw up a hand. "I won't hear it. We will enjoy a pleasant breakfast, and we will meet up with your father at the Arena. Understood?"
I floundered as my mind struggled to come up with a good reason to refuse, but I couldn't cobble together anything good.
Sorry Toothless.
I dropped into my seat, sullen. "Fine."
As soon as I was finished, I was hurried to the Ring where the whole village, and I mean the whole village, was gathering. The streets were empty because almost everyone was already waiting for the show to begin. As I drew near, the noise of their excited chatter rose louder and louder. The Arena's occupants were already in a frenzy. It was all somehow worse than the ruckus the villagers had kicked up last night.
When Dad finally joined us, he and Mom lagged behind and began whispering to each other. I tried not to be obvious, but I slowed until I was close enough to hear snippets of their talk.
"Nothing?" Mom whispered, "Are you sure?"
I felt the tension in my back release as Dad said, "I'm sorry, dear. The forest has nothing but a few roosting Terrors or so. It's like he's vanished into thin air."
Mom didn't say anything for a while until finally, voice broken… "I should have joined you."
"Now none of that," Dad chided. "You've been trying for weeks now—Hey." His voice became even quieter, much to my surprise. "You've done the best you can."
Mom didn't say anything afterwards. A random viking—whose name I can't really remember now—strode past us and called out, "Excitin' day, ainnit, Stoick?" as he passed.
Dad was quick to reply, somehow able to sound jolly. "Aye, certainly is!"
My parents quickly caught up to me, and Dad shifted the subject to focus on my "special day." He was apparently still energized from yesterday's talk, and he went on and on about how thrilled he was.
"Just think!" he said, "If you take down the beasties here, you can move on to the Monstrous Nightmare! Your mother and I are so proud of you, Hiccup."
"Yeah…thanks." I winced at how obviously flat my tone was.
Mom glanced at me, concerned. "Is something the matter, Hiccup?"
"Nothing! Nothing. I'm-I'm just, um," I rubbed the back of my neck. "Tired? Tired. Yeah. Tired. I…didn't get much sleep last night, so…"
"Too excited to sleep, eh?" Dad asked, eyes twinkling. "I know the feeling. Why, I remember when I was your age. Before I took my pre-exams, I—"
My stomach was in knots as I tried my best to both pay attention and tune him out at the same time. More people were around to shout things to me like "Good luck!", "Eager to see ya in the Ring today, Hiccup!" and "I've placed my earnings on you today, Hiccup!"
Yeah, no pressure there.
A cool breeze swept through and traveled down my neck. My chest tightened.
The thought of running into the forest, all the way to Toothless and Dragon, was incredibly tempting. A trip to gods-know-where in the middle of winter was somehow more enticing than a stroll to the beaten, familiar Arena.
Once we entered the Arena, many vikings who saw us stopped their chattering, and the closest ones gave us a pathway through to the gates. Their eyes locked me into the road they set. I moved mechanically under their weight, and I cringed when someone started chanting my name.
"HIC-CUP! HIC-CUP! HIC-CUP!"
It got worse when others started picking it up too.
At the gates, Mom and Dad gave me their final well wishes.
"Alright son," Dad said. His hands were on my shoulders, eyes never leaving mine. "This is it. Be fierce, be fast, and show those beasts who's boss." He gave me one last hearty pat on the back before turning away to take his seat on the throne.
Then it was Mom's turn. Her smile was soft as she asked, "Are you ready?"
I shrugged. "Honestly…"
"No?" There was a knowing glimmer in her eye, and I slumped.
"Not at all."
She nodded. "I wasn't either."
"…How did you deal with it?"
Mom hummed eyes becoming faraway. "I…Well, I had a lot of encouragement."
She reached into her satchel and pulled out a helmet. When she placed it on my head, it dipped over my eyes, much to her amusement. I readjusted it and asked, "What's this?"
"It was supposed to be a birthday present—" She giggled and helped me adjust it. "—but I suppose we can make an exception."
I moved my head from side to side to make sure the helmet wouldn't sink forward again. Thankfully, it didn't. "Wow…Thanks."
Mom put her hand on my shoulder. "I know things have been…overwhelming these days, and we've both been feeling more than a little helpless. But for today—" She nodded in the direction of the crowd. "—don't worry about what they may think. Win or lose, I'm so very proud of you." She tilted her head, eyeing me carefully. "Your brother would tell you the same."
My heart sank and my smile faltered, but I squeezed my mom's hand. "Thanks, Mom."
I almost thought she'd try and hug me, but thankfully she didn't. Heckling is a common staple to these events, and the last thing I needed was to give the others some ammo. Long after she left, I took off my helmet and felt its weight in my hands. Gods I wished I could tell her.
The fact of the matter was, win or lose, I would be leaving. Sooner rather than later.
XxXxX
As Dad settled down the crowd, Gobber lined us up in the center of the Arena. Everyone buzzed with a nervous energy of varying degrees. Fishlegs by far was the most jittery, but the twins were loud, rowdy, and jabbed each other incessantly. Snotlout strutted around like a mangy rooster, which I quickly ignored. Astrid and I locked eyes for a moment before she glared and wheeled her head in the other direction. I tried not to groan.
"Vikings and lasses!" Gobber bellowed out. The crowd simmered, energetic, eager for the show. "In order to decide among these young warriors before ye, t'day we shall begin the prelim'neries!"
The crowd roared. Some began to chant, "DEATH OR GLORY! DEATH OR GLORY!"
I'll take a third option, if you please, I thought cynically.
Before I knew it, we were put through the first round. The elder, Gothi, was watching from the crowd, and as we fought one dragon after another, she would pick and choose who would move on and who would be disqualified. Surviving each round stole all my attention, but for once, I hoped I would mess up soon enough to be booted out.
For this occasion, Gobber released all the horrors that we'd been facing over these past weeks. For protection, we were left with nothing but our wits, skills, and various tools scattered throughout the stadium. Terrible Terrors, probably caught during our last raid, were released first, and Tuffnut ran away screaming at the sight, much to his sister's delight. The rest of us barely had the time to chuckle before a drove of claws and teeth tore after us.
Tuffnut was livid when he was the first to be disqualified.
After we faced the Zippleback, Fishlegs soon followed. I can't event blame him for forfeiting.
By some miracle, we all survived the first three quarters of our encounter with the Deadly Nadder. Ruffnut does surprisingly well when she's not distracted by her brother (or busy distracting him). But then Tuffnut began trash talking from the sidelines, and her focus flew straight out the window. In ten seconds flat, she went from dodging fire blasts and spine shots like a pro to recklessly charging over to Tuffnut.
"Who are you calling a slug head!?"
"You, duh."
"Say that again! I dare you!"
"Slug head! Slug head! Nana nana nah nah!"
They were so loud that it was impossible for the Nadder to miss them. I watched, mildly horrified, from behind a stack of barrels, Snotlout at my side. The dragon cocked its head towards the bickering pair before stalking after Ruffnut. Her back was turned, and she couldn't see it coming.
I hissed out a curse. "She's gonna get herself killed."
Snotlout replied, voice quiet, "Better her than us."
Oblivious to the incoming dragon, the twins continued their madcap quarreling.
"Check it out! This is my impression of you." Tuffnut took slow exaggerated steps and boomed out, even slower, "Loooooook aaaaaaaat meeeeeeeee ruuuuuuuuun!"
Oh, for the love of Thor!
Without really thinking it through, I pulled away from my barricade, Snotlout shouting after me, "Hey! Where are you going? Hiccup!"
How fast do I have to go to reach Ruffnut in time? I wondered.
Heart hammering as I watched the dragon charge up ignition gas in its mouth, I pushed myself harder. I could see Astrid chasing behind the Nadder, and I could hear her war cry. The dragon was poised to shoot a series of spines after Ruffnut. If Ruff got caught, she'd be pinned down and charred in seconds.
As swiftly as possible, I pulled out a dagger from my belt, and I threw it within the dragon's line of sight. The blade wasn't close enough to hit the dragon, but the distraction opened up an opportunity for Astrid to strike. She slammed the flat of her axe against the dragon, and it screeched, indignant.
I winced. Sorry, buddy.
The dragon twisted around until it saw Astrid, but she didn't even flinch. "You looking for a fight!? Huh?" Astrid shouted. "Then come on!"
The dragon chased after Astrid, sending our audience into a frenzy, while I went after Ruffnut. I grabbed Ruff's spear before she could chuck it into the crowd. I didn't even question it; Tuffnut had probably been asking for it. Literally.
"Hey! Hey! Settle down!" I looked between the twins. "Both of you! We still have a dragon on the loose here."
"Oh come on!" Tuffnut cried. "Don't be a killjoy."
"A kill j—" I looked around, indignant and helpless. "You almost got Ruff killed!"
"What?"
"What are you talking about?" Ruffnut asked.
Almost on cue, there was movement in my peripheral. "Duck!" I pushed Ruffnut to the ground. We just barely dodged a succession of spines that could have easily impaled us both. The Nadder's shriek made my ears ring, and Ruffnut elbowed me in the chest.
"What was that—"
Fire slammed into the wall next to us, waves of its heat setting my face aflame. Hypothetically of course. The Nadder was racing towards us. Where the heck was Astrid?
Ruffnut and I looked at each other.
"Run," I deadpanned.
We scrambled to our feet, ready to make a break for it. I scanned the terrain before thoughtlessly tossing her my shield. She caught it and ran while I went to grab her abandoned one. Unfortunately, the Nadder pounced on me before I could get away again. All of its weight slammed me onto my back. A shot of piercing pain rippled throughout my body. I think I might have scraped some skin. I could hear outcry and gasping from the audience.
As the dragon gathered more ignition gas, I quickly scratched under its chin, looking for that sweet spot. My heart raced and my fingers shook as I searched. Relief was sweet when I saw it's eyes dilate, a sure sign that I'd found it. It's head slumped onto my chest, forcing air out of my lungs like a bagpipe. The weight was heavier than I could have imagined.
There was silence throughout the Arena.
I struggled to catch my breath. Once it became less ragged, I wiggled my way out from under the dragon. I was as careful as possible, but the poor creature still groaned. As soon as I was free, I dusted myself off and felt for my helmet.
The crowd broke into a crescendo of cheers, and I jumped. From where I stood, I could see the relief in Mom's eyes and the joy and pride shining in Dad's. I immediately looked away and searched around until I found my helmet. Even after it was back on my head, I wouldn't look in my parent's direction.
Ruffnut was immediately disqualified, much to her chagrin. Tuffnut had the decency to look a little guilty when she joined him on the sidelines. She slumped into the bench next to him with a pout, arms crossed.
From there the exams continued on. Snotlout was disqualified after nearly getting burned to ashes, leaving Astrid and I to face off the Gronckle…and each other.
The crowd was asunder, either cheering for her or for me. The Arena by now smelled, no, reeked of smoke, sulfurous ignition gas, and burning wood and ore. I was completely ragged at this point, and taking a rest on the hard, cold ground sounded amazing at the moment. Meanwhile, Astrid's face was smeared with soot and glistening with sweat. She was rubbing her right shoulder and forced her joints to rotate. Even so, there was a fire in her eyes that had yet to dim. In that moment, I was convinced that it never would.
The Gronckle was fury and hellfire that day. It tore through the Arena and obliterated everything in sight. The crowd went wild after witnessing each exploding box and barrel, and I swear, the twins were screaming the loudest.
Somewhere along the way, Astrid and I found ourselves sharing the same shelter. We barely looked at each other before she became hostile.
"Stay out of my way!" she demanded. "I'm winning this thing."
"No, no, please." I scooted back, hands raised in surrender. "Be my guest."
After there was an explosion that felt a little too close to us, we split up. I found a new place to hide, and glanced back at my parents in the crowd. I caught sight of Dad, grinning and giving me a thumbs up. Meanwhile Mom offered a reassuring smile. I tried to smile back until I noticed the incoming dragon.
"Crap!"
I rushed to find another hiding place, while I could hear men and women shouting and cheering. They yelled things like "Go, Hiccup!" or "Give it to em!" No thank you. With any luck, I could lead the dragon closer to Astrid. She could have the Gronckle to herself.
You lot have been with me for this long, so it shouldn't be surprising when I say that luck was not on my side here. The dragon soon became too close, it's blazing, earthy breath warming my back. Frantic, I felt around my vest's pockets for some Dragon Nip. As soon as I was caught in a corner, I clutched onto a portion, grip tight and aching.
The minute I held it out to the Gronckle, the herb's effect washed over the dragons senses. It's once furious face melted away into something more serene as it slowed. With a fantastic crash, it hit the ground and skidded the rest of the way toward me. By the time it came to a stop, I could feel its hot puffs of air warming my outstretched hand.
It all happened so fast. I didn't realize what I'd done until I saw Astrid standing behind the collapsed dragon. Her axe was still prepped for a brutal attack, and her face morphed from shock to rage. The cheering drowned out all of her shouting, but there was a thundering rush crashing around in my head, stronger than both. I had to get away.
"Okay, I'm gone." I tried to rush toward the Arena gates, but Gobber grabbed me by the collar with his hook before I could get far.
"Now 'old up a moment."
Oh shoot. "I-I really need to—"
Suddenly Astrid was in front of me, breaths heavy and her axe held to my throat. "What!?" she barked. "You need to do what exactly?"
Before I could swallow back my fear let alone answer her, Dad was shouting over the crowd. "Settle down!" he boomed. He gestured to Gothi, whose hunched form stood beside him. "The Elder has decided!"
My heart hammered and my breaths became shaky. I had no choice but to stand next to Astrid, awaiting the elder's fateful decision. My heart was sinking long before Gobber gestured to Astrid. When Gothi shook her head, I knew that praying to the gods for mercy would have been worthless. A chill washed over my body as Gobber offered me to the old woman.
Remember that desire to run I'd felt earlier?
It came back a thousand times worse when she nodded, and the crowd broke into more hollering.
I felt sick. Gods oh gods, what have I done? Astrid's fury was palpable while Gobber threw his arm over my shoulders, shaking me cheerfully. "You did it, boy!" he cried. "You get to kill the dragon!"
The gods really did hate me didn't they?
When the other teens jumped into the Arena, Fishlegs scooped me up and threw me over his shoulders. "Woah, hey!" None of them heard me protest. The group paraded me through the crowd like I was some sort of homecoming hero.
I could distantly hear my dad shout, "That's my boy!"
The entire arena had become a different kind of chaos from moments ago. I felt separate from all of it.
I tried to paste on a smile, but it peeled away just as quickly. "Great, great." My enthusiasm was worth fool's gold, and I knew it. "I am so…"
Leaving.
Let's see how well that pans out, kiddo.
NOW FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS!
Okay so I have good news and I have bad news! I flipped a coin to pick which comes first, and tails (bad news) came first so let's rip this bandaid off right now: This story is coming to a close soon without a complete resolution. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE I SWEAR! The good news is, I have a part two in the works because I'm just going on hiatus. Here's why: this story has been going on since 2016. 2 0 1 6! I love this story and I have so many ideas for part two, but it scares me to admit that I'm starting to feel a burnout.
Recently I wrote a oneshot for BATIM that's on tumblr right now, and I was surprised to realize that creating that piece really got me excited about writing again. I need to take a break for a bit to recharge and give you guys the best version of this story that I can offer, and I just can't do it like I am right now. I promise, I will give part one an exciting end, so you guys can have that to supply you until part two (which will be given a fresh new entry on my account), and I'll be posting updated versions of past chapters on here and on AO3 under my same name Tenchiko.
Again, you can also find me under the name tenchikotheauthor on Tumblr, and my writing tag is #tenchiko tries to write. Follow me on there if you want to see what I'm up to, see other stories and artwork I'm crafting, and ask questions about this universe, my character interpretations, and anything else. I'll even be posting a few oneshots that take place in this universe. I have many ideas and concepts that never made it to the main story, so they'll be fun to write as their own individual drabbles and such.
Can I just say that you guys have been amazing? In total this story has had over 9,000 views, and I get such nice comments from you guys (I'm looking at you The Arizona and Twilight Sparkle!) when you have the time to let me know how I'm doing. You guys never cease to amaze me, and I love you all to pieces.
—Tenchiko
